I need to carry my bike bag (with bike inside) on the roof bars for a short trip. Normally I’d lash a load down with rope, but this never feels very satisfactory.

Anyone found any useful attachments or gadgets to help secure slidey loads on roof bars?

If you can get an old door, put that on bars first this will provide a flat surface, mate put my bike on roof many years ago and pedal dented roof quite badly.

Also cover bike with old blanket and tuck under door and then rope it down, remeber to loop over front of rack and bike, because in the case of an emergency stop the door plus bike may carry on after the car has stopped.

Rope it perfectly good for the job, you just need to use it properly.

Learn how to tie a dolly. Nothing will move.

Old door or similar – not a bad idea.

If I had more time and spare bits of 2×4 I might try bolting that to the bars longtitudinally with end and side stops.. Apparently ‘load stops’ is the term for what I need but they are chuffing expensive for a bit of bent metal.

I like those big ratchet straps.

pipe cladding. cam straps.

It’s the pattern of straps that needs to be decided. Simply ratcheting it up does nothing if not positioned properly.

Load stops are quite good

Rope is fine, I’d use ratchet straps because I have them or ROK straps

nealglover – Member

Rope it perfectly good for the job, you just need to use it properly.

Learn how to tie a dolly. Nothing will move.

That’s what I was going to say as well.

Great knots for tying down loads.

Amazingly, the haulage industry largely exists on rope, chains and strops.

Tie rope to the front bar, put the load on, bring rope over the front of the load, over the top, then tie off on the back bar somewhere. Load stop right there.

Amazingly, the haulage industry largely exists on rope, chains and strops.

Probably cos they’ve lost all their ratchet straps, which are strewn across carriageways nationwide.

I didn’t know the haulage industry tied stuff to the top of cars!

I’ve used some straps like thesefor years and they have been great. No loads have ever slipped or moved when using them that includes overloaded with Ikea flat pack.
£15 for 2 is a bit pricey though as I paid about that for 8 from Costco a while ago.

You’ll be amazed how far you can actually drive without a load tied securely onto the roof .

I didn’t know the haulage industry tied stuff to the top of cars!

They don’t, but I bet anyone who’s worked in the haulage industry could fix a bike bag to a roof rack with 10m of para chord in about 45 seconds and it wouldn’t move a mm.

You could undo it all with one hand, just as fast as it went on.

And they wouldn’t get any knots in the rope either 😉

And that’s what happens when you do something for a living – you get good at it 🙂

Is your bike insured whilst strapped to the roof of a vehicle ?

And that’s what happens when you do something for a living – you get good at it

But the haulage industry doesn’t tie stuff to the top of cars. So why would they get good at it ?

That was your earlier point wasn’t it ?

molgrips, a car thread and a bike lashed to the top of a car. What could possibly go wrong? 🙂

As above, rope is fine. We used to load whole trailers of rowing boats without any kind of ratchet straps because the guy who did the driving reckoned they’d damage the boats. BS of course but it certainly makes the point that it’s not necessary.

But the haulage industry doesn’t tie stuff to the top of cars. So why would they get good at it ?

Touche!

The thread was about aids to securing a load narrower than the bars. Load stops are what I want, but I’m not paying that price so I’ll manage with rope.

I’ll manage with rope

Learn to tie a dolly then 😉

You’ll be amazed how far you can actually drive without a load tied securely onto the roof .

Most of my life I’ve driven without a load tied securely onto the roof.

Have to say, I’ve not been amazed as of yet.

Though looking at that pic, you appear to be using non-ratcheting straps rather than rope – something like this which is what I’ve always used for securing kayaks and other loads on roofracks. Far easier to secure a load than with ropes.

FWIW I’d not use ratcheting straps to secure lightweight shells either, as you could easily tension them enough to cause damage – I’d not use them to attach lightweight kayaks for similar reasons, though I usually use bungees to secure those 😉

Why doesn’t the top loop of that knot pull straight out?

Why doesn’t the top loop of that knot pull straight out?

The loop and the rope that goes round it are pulling in opposite directions
I’ve seen some people put a double wrap around the loop

If you don’t have a hook to put the big loop over – ie mid roof bar – you need to hang onto the knot with one hand and unthread it, wrap it around the bar and then re-thread it.

voodoo magic, man

The loop and the rope that goes round it are pulling in opposite directions
I’ve seen some people put a double wrap around the loop

I always double wrap the top loop, and double twist on the middle loop too, although I don’t think it’s really needed, just the way I was taught.

Learn to tie a dolly then

Truckers hitch is the way to do it:

http://www.animatedknots.com/truckers/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

Marko

The loop and the rope that goes round it are pulling in opposite directions

No, the top of that knot (just to the left of where is says “direction of pull”) is just a loop passing through another loop. Isn’t it? If you load that knot it’ll just pull apart, surely?

I thought that too Cougar…unless that loop (passing through the other loop) is tied on to something? 😕

Well, it obviously doesn’t pull apart as long as tension is maintained

The loop is being pulled down and also being strangled by the bit that wraps around it – pulling against each other
The piece of rope doing the strangling is also binding on itself so the more you pull it, the tighter it gets.

Just try it, you’ll see then

I’m unconvinced.

But I’ll dig out a climbing rope and try it at some point.

Well, it obviously doesn’t pull apart as long as tension is maintained

And we’re advising mol to use this?

Ahahahahaha
ahhhhh…hahahaha…

Ok, I’ll give it a whirl too…or, actually, no, I’ll just wait for Cougar to give it a try. 🙂

I’m unconvinced.

But I’ll dig out a climbing rope and try it at some point.

Now I’m not a climber and can’t really say I’ve ever handled climbing rope
But the knot above needs quite a rough rope, it’ll still work with rope that’s smoother but it’s a bit more difficult as you have to hold it together a bit more until it’s tight.

And we’re advising mol to use this?

Not me, I advised straps 🙂

And we’re advising mol to use this?

Are you questioning my general skill and competence?

BTW that knot diagram up there looks left handed to me

looks left handed to me

It’s for t’other side of the car

I don’t quite follow the point of that knot. It looks as if it’s just a way of building in a 2:1 mechanical advantage with a lot of rope friction? So really just a way of tightening the rope and locking it off?

What molgrips is after is a knot that will act as an load stop – something more like a clove hitch around the roof bar. I would do something like:
-clove hitch at side of load on front bar
-round the back the load and clove hitch to front bar on the other side
-over the load to other side of front bar
-back over the load to rear bar, clove hitch
-over the load to other side of rear bar, clove hitch
-round front of load and back to rear bar
so the load had clove hitches stopping it sliding sideways, and loops round front and back to stop it moving back or forward.
If threading all that rope through the knots is tiresome, start in the middle and/or cut it and use shorter bits.

Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Its a bike FFS. You can’t get much more lumpy with sticky out things. A few rubber bands made from motorbike inner tube or a couple of Velcro straps will hold it. Bit of climbing rope, 9mm is best, does wonders. Just use a clove hitch. Strapped many a canoe or 10 foot surfboard with just that. Never shifts.

Big **** off zip ties is what I use. Obviously you need loops or similar on the load.